HP Deskjet 6980 Color Printer (C8969A#B1H) by Hewlett Packard
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Digital camera reviews of HP Deskjet 6980 Color Printer (C8969A#B1H)
Digital camera Review: Good printer for Linux
Summary: 4 Stars
My home network has a mix of Windows and Linux PCs. Like some of the other reviewers, I agree that the Windows setup instructions are a bit murky, but I had no problems. Also, the HP Solution Center application is fairly unhelpful, if you need help. One demerit for weak documentation and software.
Quality of printing is excellent from Windows, although photos require the purchase of a third printer cartridge. To use it, you have to remove the black cartridge. This cartridge comes with a clip to cover the bottom of the ink well when it's out of the machine.
For Linux, you need to get the driver [...]. Quality and control of output are excellent on Linux, as well.
Lastly, the built-in web server on the printer is helpful for checking on the printer's status via a network. Many devices have these embedded these days, and it's nice to be able to access the printer via a browser.
Digital camera Review: Good printer for the price
Summary: 3 Stars
The ink is lasting, the printer is quiet, and it prints decent pictures as well. My only complaint is that it was a pain in the butt to install through the wireless network. None of our three computers wanted to recognize it till we pinged the computer's IP address.... other than that, it is wonderful!Digital camera Review: Good printer, trouble with wireless
Summary: 3 Stars
I also have had some issues with setting this up on a wireless network (using a Linksys router). I have one Windows 2000 and two WinXP home computers. I'd like to suggest to other reviewers that it might be helpful to include your OS and wireless equipment brands and models, especially those who had no problems.
Also, please specify whether you used the "Easy Button", the USB port, the ethernet cable option or the direct USB option to setup your wireless network. Thanks.
Digital camera Review: Good printing quality. Fast speed. Wireless support. Construction is not solid.
Summary: 4 Stars
I own this HP 6980printer for a week. This printer serves my purpose. Good color printing quality. Fast printing speed. Setup for wireless is easy. Stylish design. However you have to use cable to set up the printer before the printer can operate in wireless. One compliant is that the installation of cartridge seems a little bit odd. Tt made me feel that I damaged something. Over all is a good buy.Digital camera Review: Great Printer When it Doesn't Go Offline
Summary: 3 Stars
I've owned this printer for 8 months and have connected it 3 ways, wirelessly, via USB, and through the ethernet cable on both XP Professional SP1 and Vista Ultimate. This printer works best on XP. The CD that HP includes with this printer is fairly straightforward and works for XP Professional. I set up all 4 computers in my house with this CD using the wireless access point connection. Everything was fine. This printer prints quickly and accurately. The main network was an old PC that we never used. The problems started when we all bought new Dell Laptops with Vista Ultimate OS. Without the CD, set up was fairly simple: control panel, printers, add a printer. My Dell 1705 notebook was now serving as the main network. The problems started whenever I needed to reboot my wireless cable modem from Time Warner (RoadRunner). This caused the printer to go "offline" and I had to add a new port to the printer to get it "ready" or online again. This happened a number of times so I got fed up and decided to connect it via USB. That worked well for a few months until my wireless cable modem stopped working and we had to swap it for a new one. Once I installed the new wireless cable modem, the HP printer would flash blue whenever I tried to connect it wirelessly or via USB. The only way I could get the blue indicator on the printer to stop flashing and work was to connect the printer to the Network via the yellow ethernet cable. Fortunately, all the other Vista laptops in our home were able to connect and print. However, the printer kept going "offline" every couple of days on the main network computer. The only way to fix the problem was to delete the printer in the control panel and then add the printer. Fortunately, the other laptops on the network were not affected by this and continued to work. I then tried to get this printer to work again wirelessly or via USB, but this time I had the green light on the printer constantly flashing, preventing my main network computer from printing. So, I went back to the Ethernet connection and now things have finally stabilized for the past couple of weeks.
HP technical support was clueless. All they did was have me disconnect the plugs from the outlet and then reconnect. They said that the USB connection gets corrupted with Vista OS and if you have too many wireless things going on with your network, it can cause the printer to go "offline". I found technical support to be better 8 months ago before it got outsourced to India.
One HP techie told me that it is best to make the main network computer for your printer to be one you never use. There is some truth to that, but my wife didn't want a big old dusty computer hanging around our house.
Documentation is terrible. None of the problems I had were addressed in the troubleshooting guide. Moreover, the only way I was able to replace an ink cartridge was to disconnect the adapter from the wall socket.
I would not use this printer to connect wirelessly via an access point if you use VOIP at home. One of the problems I had was that the IP address for the printer and my VOIP IP became the same and it was a nightmare to disentangle the two, while neither worked.
For now, everything is OK, but who knows how long that will last before the main network computer goes "offline" again.
Wireless is cool, but it can also cause lots of mysterious problems.